The Los Angeles Lakers were unexpectedly eliminated in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Los Angeles lost in five games to Minnesota, forcing the legendary franchise to reevaluate its strategy for the 2025-26 season. In his inaugural season, head coach JJ Redick utilized numerous small-ball lineups featuring versatile wings against the Timberwolves to compensate for their significant absence of frontcourt talent, yet it proved ineffective.
As their general manager Rob Pelinka searches the free agency market for a fitting center, one could assert that the team might gain from acquiring another forward who possesses exceptional shooting ability and NBA Finals experience to play alongside Luka Dončić and LeBron James.
Fortunately, an ideal trade prospect with the right intangibles from the San Antonio Spurs might be accessible this offseason.
Should the Spurs choose to consider offers, Los Angeles might manage to send a trade package that includes their 2024 NBA Draft No. 17 overall selection Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt in return for forward Harrison Barnes this summer.
At 32 years of age, the 2015 NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors and a previous 19.2-point scorer for the Dallas Mavericks during 2016-17 has earned a reputation as one of the most dependable role players in the league.
Competing in all 82 regular season games for San Antonio in 2024-25, the 6-foot-8 combo-forward recorded an average of 12.3 points and 3.8 rebounds, shooting an impressive 43.3% from his 4.4 three-point attempts and achieving an exceptional 65.6% true shooting percentage.
By strategically aligning the seasoned glue-guy with exceptional play-makers such as James and Dončić, Barnes may benefit from precise passes resulting in catch-and-shoot chances from afar, a shot category that the 13-year veteran converted at a 44.1% rate last season.
Nonetheless, Barnes is much more than merely a three-point shooter. The astute scoring forward has built a career around his mid-post abilities and knack for finishing powerfully at the rim, positioning him as an excellent choice for the Lakers as a versatile provider of one-on-one shot creation.
San Antonio might be disposed to engage in a transaction of this kind. The Spurs are beginning a new chapter right after their iconic former head coach Gregg Popovich chose to retire from his coaching responsibilities following 29 years as the primary strategist.
That being the case, San Antonio acquiring a talented young player like Knecht while offloading Barnes’ expiring $19 million contract for the 2025-26 season is a possibility.
If the Lakers were to bring in a champion at Barnes’ level to support Dončić and James, the team could move closer to raising its 18th championship banner next year.